


Fried Eggs & Cheesecake

by Quiddity



Category: Voltron: Legendary Defender
Genre: Gen, Hunk is a college students who is heckin stressed out, Kolivan is a retired musician who mostly plays solo sets in bars, they are good friends
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-17
Updated: 2018-01-17
Packaged: 2019-03-06 02:02:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,163
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13401117
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Quiddity/pseuds/Quiddity
Summary: “Sorry,” Hunk says and Kolivan's ear twitches at the note of stress in his voice. “I didn't realize I had drifted off there.” Kolivan's hand falls still, his claws drumming hollowly on the body of his guitar.“Something wrong?” Kolivan asks. Hunk gives a soft, noncommittal hum and Kolivan leans in a bit more, curious. “Even if it's something that seems small.” It only gets a little self depreciating chuckle out of Hunk.





	Fried Eggs & Cheesecake

The Golden Lion is one of his favorite bars. At 9pm, when he comes in and starts his set, the place is full and the patrons are the type to tip both wait staff and the live music generously. And at 1am, when he packs up most of his sound equipment and things are winding down, it's nice and quiet and Kolivan knows not to expect anyone to come up and bother him while he makes good on last call and relaxes with a friend.

 

Or, he would, if said friend weren't staring over the bar running along the length of the windowed storefront and out into the nearly empty street. Kolivan sits beside Hunk, his back resting against the high bar while he idly plucks at the strings of his guitar. He keeps half an eye on the sports newscast on the television above the stage, half on Hunk's rapidly disappearing beer. Hunk had been his normal, perfectly chatty self mere minutes ago but suddenly Kolivan had asked him how his last semester was going and he'd gotten all pensive.

 

Kolivan feels a little bad asking about something that had given Hunk some stress in the past but it was so early in the year he was surprised it had even started yet. After not seeing him through much of the holiday season he'd only been curious as to how routine was treating him.

 

This reaction worries him. Normally Hunk was such an upbeat person but Kolivan had been starting to notice even before the month since last seeing him that he's been anxious. So Kolivan stays silent, gives him another minute to realize how quiet he's been. Then he shifts purposefully on his stool, giving Hunk a pointed look. He plucks a string on his guitar and the soft note pulls Hunk from wherever his thoughts have wondered. Hunk flinches, glances around quickly and when he sees that it's only Kolivan with him he sighs and rubs his eyes.

 

“Sorry,” Hunk says and Kolivan's ear twitches at the note of stress in his voice. “I didn't realize I had drifted off there.” Kolivan's hand falls still, his claws drumming hollowly on the body of his guitar.

 

“Something wrong?” Kolivan asks. Hunk gives a soft, noncommittal hum and Kolivan leans in a bit more, curious. “Even if it's something that seems small.” It only gets a little self depreciating chuckle out of Hunk.

 

“Semester started this week and I already feel swamped. I know, right? Not like every other senior in college feels exactly the same way. But there's thesis, classes, projects, homework, **regular** work, all the while I'm trying to find something in my field and just-” Hunk pauses, then throws up his hands so quickly he nearly topples over the dregs of his beer. “Shit-” he huffs, setting the glass aside. “I don't know Kolivan. I think I'm just burnt out. But I can't afford to stop and take a break or do literally anything else but **all of this** and that just makes it worse. And like, what if this stress makes me overthink or forget something important and then I've ruined **everything** , all those years of work and money are totally wasted-”

 

Kolivan cuts him off with a gentle hand on his shoulder.

 

“You're okay,” he says, patient and calm.

 

“I'm not, man, I'm gonna freak out,” Hunk says. Kolivan only hums and pins Hunk with a look he hopes is reassuring.

 

“You are,” he presses. His fingers once again find the strings of his guitar. He plucks out a few notes as if sifting through the words in his mind, searching for the perfect thing to ease his friend.

 

“You don't have anything to worry about, Hunk. You work hard and people in your field will be falling all over each other to have you work for them. You can't give yourself such a hard time by second guessing yourself. I know it's a lot easier for me to say than and it is for you to do it, but I gave you my number for a reason you know. I'm retired, I'm not so busy you can't call me when you need to. I don't ever mind listening.”

 

“Okay **maybe** ” Hunk sighs, but Kolivan can already tell by how some of the tension disappears from his expression that he's taken at least some of Kolivan's words to heart. “I just don't know. Part of me was like 'you have to get out and let off some steam,' but as soon as I got here I started thinking about how much work I wasn't doing...”

 

Kolivan nods in understanding. He'd been wondering why Hunk had seemed so quiet throughout the night. “Still, it's important to give yourself a break when you need it. Otherwise you really will end up burnt out.” He gives Hunk a small smile. “I'd rather you come find me here and listen for a couple hours than stay at home stressing yourself out.”

 

“You could say that again,” Hunk sighs. He gives his mostly empty glass a forlorn look and Kolivan thinks that if the bar wasn't closing for the night he would treat Hunk to another. “I'd be at home studying for an astrophysics quiz and I'm pretty sure I could quote you the first few chapters of the book at this point.”

 

Kolivan is just about to ask him to prove it when his phone buzzes in his pocket. He's nearly convinced himself he'll just check it later on his way home but his curiosity wins out at the last moment. He pulls it out, unlocks it and sees it's a note from his scheduling app. It's January 13th and the only marker for today is... Hunk's birthday. He feels a little bad. He'd put this note in for himself back in late summer when he'd just started thinking of Hunk as a good friend. One of those things that he knows he knows, but in the rush of life managed to slip his mind.

 

“I have a good idea to distract you. You were telling me about that twenty-four hour diner you really like? The one with the nice cheesecake? Let's stop by there and pick up an early breakfast? My treat, since it's your birthday.” Hunk laughs, loud and bright and Kolivan has to bite back his own smile and act like he's not pleased about seeing him cheered up so much.

 

“Yes, but two things,” Hunk says, holding up two fingers. “Was it your phone that just reminded you of that, and are you offering to pay only because my birthday?” Kolivan shrugs. He stands and pulls his guitar case from under his seat.

 

“Yes, but no. Happy Birthday, Hunk,” he says. Hunk chuckles again.

 

“Well, you told me Happy Birthday before my own mother, so I won't turn you down then. Fried eggs and cheesecake at two in the morning actually sounds pretty good right now.”

 

**Author's Note:**

> Thanks for reading! You can find me at [quiddid](http://quiddid.tumblr.com/) on tumblr. Ask for discord.


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